Test Day

Got up early this morning for the 2nd physical fitness test of the year. It was a beautiful morning and I won't complain a bit. My other option was last Friday and that was COLD and "breezy." I have blogged about the requirements for the test in the past. The actual post is here. It explains the requirements and how I fared in June.

How did I do today?

Pull up: 17...again. All I can say is they are getting easier to nail the 17. Improvement will come! Can you say persevere? A little more work and I will get it.

Crunch: 100 maxed. This is too easy. I nearly finished in the first minute 1:07. No sore back either. I guess I am doing something right. I can assure you one thing. I haven't done one single crunch since June. Lots of evil wheel and hanging leg raises are the way to go. Don't forget swings.

Run: 26:26. Not too bad for 9 miles this year. I felt good for the most part. All those swings and snatches really pay off, don't you think?

Score: 234 this is a 7 point improvement from June. It is all in the run.

Now that this is over I will continue training. The immediate focus is the brevet season right around the corner. I leg strength is the main focus to carry me through the season to the RKC II where we will do pistols (1 leg squats). Well, strength everywhere (GPP). I will also begin preparing the snatch test for the RKC II.

Perfect Weather

I couldn't pass up the opportunity to ride on such a perfect day. I rode with shorts. The AM ride presented temperatures in the upper 50s maybe even 60, I had a steady headwind for most of the ride. I'm not complaining about that. The afternoon ride allowed riding with short and short sleeves. How cool is that on a December afternoon?

Interestingly on the way home, I saw two wrecks within about a mile's distance. The first had three cars crunched in the median. The second was actually on the right side of the road. The truck had a little ding in the fender. I couldn't turn around to see the other vehicle's front side. I'm going to take a stab and guess that these people were driving while holding a cell phone and perhaps even doing makeup. For some unknown reason I feel far more secure on a bicycle than driving down the road with all all the crazies

Swings: 32K: 1x50
Ride AM 15mi
Ride PM 17 mi....I tried a slightly different route on some back roads and actual bike paths. I think I shall keep it. Less traffic....slower traffic...relaxing.

Bike Commuting in Duluth, MN

MN Bicycle Commuter is a great blog about bicycle commuting in Duluth, MN. I lived in that area for a few years and the weather can get down right BRUTAL. At any rate, there are some fantastic photos of the Duluth Harbor in winter. Right now the temps are in the single digits and there is about 2 feet of snow. Check it out.



Geography: Duluth is located at the most southerly area of Lake Superior, the largest fresh water lake in the world. It is freeking huge. I liked to call it the Superior Ocean. You can't see end to end and there are tankers in the port from all over the world picking up iron ore from the large mines located on the MN arrowhead. Probably the most famous ship wreck is the SS Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975.

Gordon Lightfoot tells the story:

Gifts to ME

When we arrived home from work this evening, there were 5 packages of varying weight stacked neatly by the door. I'm sure the UPS guy is pleased. That is ok though the International Brotherhood of Teamsters ensures he has great benefits. Now I can say I helped him with some benefits too. He got to lift several kettlebells and is now on his way to improved fitness.






I actually purchased the Russian Reds for my upcoming workshop. They look cool.

December Kettlebell Workshop

Decision...Perhaps...Maybe

I think I've made the decision to do the physical fitness test on Friday. I probably won't make any large improvements in a week. It also makes sense because I kinda tapered already and feel ready for some punishment. The taper will continue for the next two days with an event on Friday AM. I will do some swings and RIS during this period.

The events are pull ups, must do at least 3; 20 is worth maximum points. Crunches is a time limit of 2 minutes, 100 is the max. A 3 mile run caps off the test.

Practice:
Pull up: BW
18,12,8,6,4

Under the Weather and offline

I've been under the weather thus I have taken a few days off from the normal training. I also took an extra day off to ensure the bug was past. I don't want to break down the immune system too much. I will be back to normal schedule soon.

The semi-annual physical fitness test is right around the corner. I can either get it out of the way this Friday or do it next Wednesday. They both have their advantages. Waiting a week won't give me too much difference in score but I could knock out another pull up or so. If I go on Friday, I can get it over with and continue training for events later in the year and next.

I guess the determining factor will be the weather forecast. Now that I have looked at it, I am leaning towards Friday AM. I will be a little cooler but dry and little wind. These are fairly favorable conditions. The best part is the weekend outlook, sunny and warm, perfect for some riding on la bicyclette.

In the mean time, I have done many pull-ups.

Friday, Sat, Sun,: -- this is tough!
15,12,10,8,6,4

Monday:
12,12,12